Chance and Happenstance
by Spunkt
Summary: No. XIII, Roxas. Found & befriened by Axel. Organization XIII is fully formed for a short while before falling apart, civil war wreaking havoc among the ranks. Emphasis on relationships and char. development of Org. from Roxas' birth to departure. AkuRoku


WHAT'S ALL THIS ABOOT?

Well, since the release of Re:CoM and Final Mix, as well as some recent interviews, I have a learned a lot more about Roxas' birth and Castle Oblivion. So, because I want to, not because I have to, I'm re-writing a lot of this story. It's still the same basic thing, just mixing up the beginning a lot. As in a complete overhaul. ENJOY.

Warnings: Spoilers for Re:CoM and Final Mix, not to mention KH2. Bad language, sexual situations, illicit activities, and slash.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters are ©SquareEnix and Disney

Chance and Happenstance

* * *

As a Nobody, Axel was relatively sure he wasn't supposed to hate anything. After all, it came with the territory of having no heart, or so he was told. Yet at the particular moment, Axel was damn sure he was about to burst with hatred for Xigbar. The older man had asked his subordinate to cover for him, just for a little while, promise, so he could go off and accompany Demyx on a mission. While Axel's personal opinion was that Demyx could very well handle any mission himself, he had not been able to argue with his Superior despite the fact that he was trying to enjoy one of his rare moments of peace.

Xigbar's main job at the given moment was to recruit new members of the Organization. While Axel had been less than thrilled with their more recent additions to the ranks, it didn't mean he thought himself a better person for the job. In fact, considering his short temper, he regarded himself to be one of the worst. He and Demyx had their roles reversed at the moment, perhaps. Even so, Xigbar had insisted that nothing was going to happen. He had told Axel that most of the time, he sat around doing nothing in the various worlds he was scouring. Well, surprise.

Despite his bitching, Axel had obediently answered Xemnas' call as quickly as he could. Messing with the others was one thing, but he was not one to mess with Xemnas. Considering what had happened to some of the recruits Xigbar had brought back, well… Axel was pretty sure he hadn't been the first candidate for Number Eight, that's all. He was to meet Xemnas in Twilight Town, a world that apparently gave birth to all Nobodies (but hell if he paid attention), and take on a potential new recruit. He was less than excited to meet a new kid considering he didn't really care much for the more recent additions to their ranks. And he was going to kill Xigbar for this.

After gathering up his coat and making himself presentable, Axel took a portal out of The World That Never Was and soon found himself in the sunset-lit town he was meant to have arrived in a bit quicker than all that. No matter, he hoped, as he walked next to the train tracks he had materialized in front of. A few children were gaping at him, wondering how someone could do such a thing like appear from nowhere, but he paid them no heed as he practically waltzed towards a cracked hole in the nearby wall. He knew this was the way to go, and disappeared into the forest.

Meanwhile, a very drowsy looking, very young Nobody had just been given his new name. While a part of him figured he should be having some sort of reaction to this and the strange man bossing him around, he was sort of… out of it, he supposed. He was trying to think what had happened to land him here, who he was and what he was supposed to be doing, but he was drawing a frightening blank. Right now, all he could think of was 'Roxas' and darkness and swirling lines of death.

"Ah, speaking of the Organization," Xemnas interrupted himself mid-sentence, turning from Roxas for the first time since meeting him. Axel was standing at the edge of the forest, hood down and considerably less threatening in appearance than the Superior. Or at least, that's what Roxas' initial thought was. "Axel, do come meet Number XIII."

_Number Thirteen?_ Roxas thought, eyes not leaving Axel's brilliant red hair as the man approached him and Xemnas was it? That sounded right. Axel was glaring down at him through bright green eyes that reminded Roxas of nothingness and want.

"What is his name, Superior?" Axel asked, doing his best to keep his posture straight in front of the boss. Couldn't be looking even half as annoyed as he wanted to feel.

"Roxas. I'll be going back to Never Was to prepare him a place to stay. Can you keep him occupied for a small while? Answer his questions?" Xemnas asked his subordinate, though he wasn't truly asking. _Truly_ he was sugarcoating his orders. Axel wasn't sure why the Superior bothered to do such a thing; everyone listened to him anyway.

"Of course," Axel replied. Of course.

"Good. I'll take my leave momentarily, then. Roxas, this is Axel, Number VIII in the Organization." Xemnas turned to face the boy, startling him somewhat. "He is well equipped to handle any inquiries you may have, as well as protect you should the need arise. I do hope to see you soon." And with that, Xemnas vanished into a portal of black. Roxas' eyes watched the spot where the man had vanished and Axel sagged somewhat, mentally cursing the chance happenings of actually having to take on a new recruit.

"C'mon," Axel motioned to the blond, tilting his head in the direction of the forest. "Let's go take a look around. We'll call it a scouting mission." He walked towards the edge of the clearing, and turned when he didn't hear footsteps behind him. Roxas hadn't budged from his spot. "Roxas, let's go." Roxas stared up at Axel, silent. With a sigh of aggravation, Axel tossed his hands up in the air and walked back towards the new member. "Roxas, hello? Come on already! You heard the Superior."

Roxas scowled and looked away, not keen on following the stranger. He just sort of wanted to take a nap… he was so tired. And strangely- empty? Hungry? He wasn't sure, but something wasn't right. If only he could put his finger on it, or had the energy and ability to flee--

"Don't you talk?" Axel asked, jabbing Roxas in the shoulder. When he got no reply, he simply sighed and slid his arm around the other's significantly lower shoulders in order to forcibly lead Roxas back towards town. What a pain in the ass – and Axel honestly had no idea what to do with a new recruit outside of introducing himself. "Well that's okay, I love the sound of my own voice. I'm Axel, and I'm your boss."

Roxas grunted and slid out from under Axel's grip, leading the way down the forest path. Not that he had any idea where he was going, but there was only one path and he followed it all the way until the ends of sunlight were visible. After emerging back in the actual town, he paused for a moment and looked around. There were so many paths…

"Kinda nice, right? Hey! Wait up, jeeze. You don't have to act like we're not here together. Unless you don't like me? Is that it Roxas?" Axel carried on with a smirk, effectively annoying Roxas beyond belief. The blond huffed and started off in a random direction, the taller right on his heels. "That can't be it," he continued. "Maybe you're hungry? Thirsty? Need to be changed? C'mon you gotta help me out."

Of course, Roxas still didn't say a word. Axel rolled his eyes, murmuring a soft 'brat' as he followed the other aimlessly. The fact that the kid wasn't talking to him was really bothersome, considering they were being forced to hang out and it'd be nice if the boy would speak. Even a 'fuck you' would be better than nothing. He wondered if all the newborn Nobodies were this obnoxious, and suddenly understood why Xigbar always tried to get out of it. What Axel did not know was that Roxas hadn't said a word since his birth. Not that it excused his attitude, but it did count for something. He wondered whether or not, if Xigbar was here in his place, such an insolent boy would even make it back to the Castle in one piece. Probably not.

"Alright, fine. That's okay," Axel said, following Roxas in silence. A group of kids passed them and Roxas paused, turning to regard them with curiosity. They were the only other people he'd seen in the town, and he wondered if they were 'Nobodies' as well. That had been an interesting bit of speech from Xemnas, regarding what he was. Axel watched the teens pass as well, gaze flecking between them and Roxas a few times in thought. After a moment, he clamped his hand back down on Roxas' shoulder and managed a smile. "So, hungry then?"

Roxas stared after the boys and girl, lips tightly pressed together. They had walked right by him, not even looked at him.

"I get it, you want some food, right? Right, Roxas?" Axel said, sure of himself and his deductive reasoning skills. In reality, Roxas wasn't sure if that's what he wanted at all, if he even wanted anything. "We can get some while we wait. There's bound to be a place nearby if those other guys had some. C'mon." And Axel was leading them both once more, shaking Roxas from his strange mental reverie. This time, the blond didn't push away.

When the pair entered the first store they came across (by the giant clock tower, which was due to chime any moment), both the parlor owner and Axel were looking down at Roxas expectantly, waiting for his order. After hesitating briefly, Roxas raised an arm to point up at the blue treat he had seen the other teens eating before. He wanted some, too.

"Make that two," Axel replied, sliding some munny across the counter and receiving the two ice creams in return. Roxas reached out expectantly for his, but Axel kept it and walked out of the store. Of course Roxas followed and gazed up at the redhead wondering why oh why he couldn't get his blue thing on a stick. Axel didn't notice, though, because he was gazing up at the clock as it chimed happily above their heads.

A few minutes later, they were seated up at the top of the tower. It was a good place to stay out of sight and away from the townspeople; and it had one heck of a view. Roxas did get his ice cream, and took an experimental taste of the cold, blue thing, then a bite. Axel watched, and when the blond didn't make a face or try to chew off his tongue, he chanced a bite as well. And immediately spit it out.

"Ugh, it's so salty," he complained, holding the ice cream at arms length and pulling a face.

"…I like it," Roxas said, taking another bite.

"What?"

"It's salty, but sweet. I like it," Roxas confirmed through a mouthful of blue slush.

"Huh." Axel gazed over at the younger boy. "So you can talk."

"Mm."

"You're bizarre."

"Mm."

"I guess you're weirded out, right?" Axel said, shifting and holding the ice cream out so it dripped onto the streets below. In all honesty, he couldn't remember much from his own 'birth' or 'rebirth' or whatever the hell it was called when your hearts was ripped out but you were still alive for only who knew why. "You just have no damn idea what's going on."

"I do," Roxas corrected the other. "The man from the Organization told me I'd died and been reborn, though that doesn't explain why you people are talking to me. I don't have a heart, and I don't remember how I got here. I'd say I've never been so scared in my life, but I don't have any idea if that's true."

"…Mm."

"So?" Roxas turned a bit where he sat, brining one foot up to that the thick soles of his sneaker was planted against the edge of where he sat. He didn't dare look down.

"Mm?"

"Aren't you going to say you feel bad for me?"

"I don't," Axel countered quickly, an empty smirk gracing his features.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm in the same boat, kid. That's why I'm talking to you, aside from the fact that I'm being forced to, but that doesn't matter," Axel shrugged, eyes somewhere else. "Me and you are the same, and we're the same as the Superior and everyone else in the Organization. No one there is going to feel sorry for you either."

"…I don't see a reason to go with you," Roxas said blankly, staring down at his melting ice cream. Between Xemnas' strange explanations and Axel's bad attitude, he was not feeling too confident in having to join the ranks. Though something told him that at this point, he didn't have a choice.

"You have nowhere else to go," said Axel. He watched a train round its track in the distance, flecks of people or nothing milling in the nearby streets. "You're a Nobody. These worlds of light and dark won't take you. You can either run around alone and get killed, or come back with me." And with that, he tossed his ice cream off the tower, losing sight of it long before it hit the ground. "That's how it works."

"That's stupid."

"Yeah well. It's not that awful, actually. Rather this than Dusk-food, don't ya think, kid?" the redhead grinned.

"I suppose…" Roxas was nearly finished with his food, eating in silence until all he had left was the stick. After pausing a moment, he tossed it from the tower as well. "Let's go then."

"Yeah?" Axel stood almost immediately, stretching and balancing somewhat precariously on the edge of the tower. Lucky him, he had fantastic balance.

"Yeah, I'm actually curi-UH-!" Roxas flailed, standing as well but finding himself weighed down with something akin to a headrush. Flashes of memories plagued him and he felt like he was being ripped in two… his head throbbed and arms splayed out in front of him in vain attempts to keep himself balanced.

"Easy," the taller said, grabbing Roxas around to arm and effortlessly yanking him into a steady position. "I'd be in trouble if I let you die on your first day." The blond shook his head, finding the pain and thoughts to clear immediately without leaving a trace of having wracked him to terrible before. He gaped up at Axel blankly.

"Your tongue is blue."

"…Thanks."

* * *

HR

End of rewrite chapter one. Yay :


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